NWMA May Issue

Northwest

ISSUE 01/ MAY 2013

MOTORCOACH NEWS

2012 NWMA CONVENTION Photos from our 13th anual meeting & rodeo.

ACCIDENT REPORT

LEARN FROM THE PAST

How driver fatigue and over the counter medication contributed to the death of 8 passangers

7 Essential

HR Resources And how to use them to streamline your company.

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08

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GOOGEL+ & YOU/

DRIVER FATIGUE/

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NWMCA CONVENTION

DISTRACTED DRIVING/

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40

CYBER THREATS/

MAKE A SPLASH/

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HR RESOURCES

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NEWS BRIEF/

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ACCIDENT REPORT/

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B2B EMAIL/

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Learning from other mistakes makes us all better operators.

Better strategies, better ROI. Learn and earn.

PR tips and tricks that will get you noticed in the media.

Have employees? This is a must read. Don’t miss these important tips and ideas.

Driving tired is no laughing matter, tips for keeping drivers safe.

What you need to know about distracted driving and why it matters to you.

It’s new... Does it matter to your business? Find out now.

See photos and more from our 13th annual meeting!

What you don’t know about cyber security.

Accidents with out of country operators and what FMCSA is doing about it.

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Email: Brian@Greenazine.com www.greenazine.com

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T h e u l t i m a t e c l a s s.

from the president/ As another year comes to a close, it is always a great opportunity to look forward to the coming year and beyond! As I give consideration to 2013, I feel we have our work cut out for us, and am hopeful for the country and economy, as well as for the Northwest Motorcoach Association.

I am excited and honored to be the President for the upcoming year and the powerful opportunity it presents to help make our association the best it has ever been. As you know, we are looking at ways to actively and aggressively attract more members. We are implementing new ways, including this magazine, to provide new and exciting value to our members so that they can see the true value of our membership and the battles this association fights on their behalf daily without their knowledge.. This new publication will be your “one-stop” for industry news from key associations such as the UMA, ABA, CBA, and FMCSA just to name a few, and will be a great way to stay connected with industry news if you don’t have the time to read all of these other industry publications.

If you are like me, this letter is already longer than your attention allows, so here is a short list of goals I have for our association this coming year: 1. Increase membership of both transportation companies and vendors 2. Forge the same working type relationships we have with ODOT and Oregon FMCSA with the Washington enforcement agencies, encouraging them to do scheduled inspection days in both Western and Eastern Washington as soon as possible 3. Start a task force to Identify all limo and other companies running buses illegally, to either educate them on this industry or help them be successful in a different industry 4. Work on getting more motorcoach parking spots in both Portland and Seattle 5. Stop at 4 so I don’t have to explain with a bunch of excuses at our next meeting of why it all failed to be accomplished.....

With the recent tragic, but avoidable death of a local eleven year old girl by a non-compliant Oregon limousine company, the massive negative press has prompted the need for regulation and enforcement equal to ours for limousine companies operating vehicles over 15 passengers. To this end, I have already reached out to the Oregon Limo Association to create a task force to help educate and initiate a program to either comply with all regulations or get out of the bus business.

Bus parking limitations have long since plagued our industry and I will be looking for those of you who can help in Seattle and Portland to attend meetings and rally support to gain more motorcoach parking in both cities.

Individually, as operators, our power is limited, but as an association, we have incredible power and authority. We are major players in the transportation industry and as your President, with your help I will fight for our industry and our businesses and do my best to make a difference in 2013.

I am excited for this new year, for the opportunities it presents us personally and professionally and I am thrilled to be the President of this association. I look forward to serving each of you!

Sincerely Joseph Gillis President.

For those of you who like to read, following please find more details of the items listed above.

As I am sure you are aware, our industry has recently been burdened by new regulations and inspection requirements that are proving difficult to navigate. In Oregon we have forged a powerful working relationship with ODOT, and the Oregon FMCSA, and we are looking to expand this mutually beneficial relationship into Washington. We are hoping to develop a program like the one in Oregon where we would have scheduled inspection days in both Eastern and Western Washington as soon as possible. We know that this is important and that using association resources and bargaining power in this way helps all of our operators, and to help these state and national agencies accomplish a common goal; protecting the public.

Joe Gillis

NWMCA President

DRIVER fatigue/ Fatigue is the result of physical or mental exertion that impairs performance.46 Driver fatigue may be due to a lack of adequate sleep, extended work hours, strenuous work or non-work activities, or a combination of other factors.14 The Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) reported that 13 percent of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers were considered to have been fatigued at the time of their crash.15 Below are some tips that will help you stay healthy and well rested during all your trips.

A recent study conducted to determine the risk of having a safetycritical event as a function of driving-hour suggests that incidents are highest during the first hour of driving 8

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TIP # 1: GET ENOUGH SLEEP BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL Be sure to get an adequate amount of sleep each night. If possible, do not drive while your body is naturally drowsy, between the hours of 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Driver drowsiness may impair a driver’s response time to potential hazards, increasing the chances of being in a crash.16 If you do become drowsy while driving, be sure to choose a safe place to pull over and rest.

Did You Know? The circadian rhythm refers to the wake/sleep cycle that our body goes through each day and night.

The cycle involves our internal clock and controls the daily pattern of alertness in a human body. With inadequate sleep, the drowsiness experienced during natural “lulls” can be even stronger and may have a greater adverse effect on a driver’s performance and alertness.47 Did You Know? A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

found that driver alertness was related to “time-of-day” more so than “time-ontask.”48 Most people are less alert at night, especially after midnight. This drowsiness may be enhanced if you have been on the road for an extended period of time.16 Did You Know? A recent study conducted to determine the risk of having a safetycritical event as a function of driving-hour suggests that incidents are highest during the first hour of driving. The authors hypothesize that drivers may be affected by sleep inertia shortly after waking from sleep. This may be especially true for drivers who sleep in the sleeper berth.49 Sleep inertia refers to impairment in a variety of performance tasks, including short-term memory, vigilance, cognitive functioning, reaction time, and ability to resist sleep.

TIP # 2: MAINTAIN A HEALTHY DIET Skipping meals or eating at irregular times may lead to fatigue and/or food cravings. Also, going to bed with an empty stomach or immediately after a heavy meal can interfere with sleep.53 A light snack before bed may help you achieve more restful sleep. Remember that if you are not well-rested, induced fatigue may cause slow reaction time, reduced attention, memory lapses, lack of awareness, mood changes, and reduced judgment ability.

Did you Know? A recent study conducted on the sleeping and driving habits of CMV drivers concluded that an unhealthy lifestyle, long working hours, and sleeping problems were the main causes of drivers falling asleep while driving.54

Driver fatigue is attributed to over 13% of all commercial vehical accidents...

Article provided by the FMSCA For full article and resoucres click here.

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TIP # 3: TAKE A NAP If possible, you should take a nap when feeling drowsy or less alert. Naps should last a minimum of 10 minutes, but ideally a nap should last up to 45 minutes. Allow at least 15 minutes after waking to fully recover before starting to drive.

Did you know? Short naps are more effective at restoring energy levels than coffee.

Did you know? Naps aimed at preventing drowsiness are generally more effective in maintaining a driver’s performance than naps taken when a person is already drowsy.

TIP # 4: AVOID MEDICATION THAT MAY INDUCE DROWSINESS Avoid medications that may make you drowsy if you plan to get behind the wheel. Most drowsiness-inducing medications include a warning label indicating that you should not operate vehicles or machinery during use.16 Some of the most common medicines that may make you drowsy are: tranquilizers, sleeping pills, allergy medicines and cold medicines.

Did You Know? In a recent study, 17 percent of CMV drivers were reported as having “over-the-counter drug use” at the time of a crash.

Did You Know? Cold pills are one of the most common medicines that may make you drowsy. If you must drive with a cold, it is safer to suffer from the cold than drive under the effects of the medicine.16

counts of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and 29 counts of reckless driving that caused great bodily harm. If convicted he could have faced nearly 90 years in prison.

TIP # 5: RECOGNIZE THE SIGNALS AND DANGERS OF DROWSINESS

TIP # 6: DO NOT RELY ON “ALERTNESS TRICKS” TO KEEP YOU AWAKE

Pay attention: Indicators of drowsiness include: frequent yawning, heavy eyes, and blurred vision.

Behaviors such as smoking, turning up the radio, drinking coffee, opening the window, and other “alertness tricks” are not real cures for drowsiness and may give you a false sense of security.

Did You Know? Research has indicated that being awake for 18 hours is comparable to having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent, which is legally intoxicated and leaves you at equal risk for a crash.

Did You Know? A 2005 study suggests that three out of every four CMV drivers report having experienced at least one type of driving error as a result of drowsiness.

Did You Know? On October 16, 2005 at 2 a.m., a 23-year-old CMV driver fell asleep behind the wheel, causing him to enter a ditch and eventually roll his truck over on both west-bound lanes of Interstate 94. Minutes later, a charter bus carrying a school band crashed into the truck killing 5 and injuring 29 others. As a result of the crash, the CMV driver was charged with 5

Did You Know? Excessive intake of caffeine can cause insomnia, headaches, irritability, and nervousness.

Did You Know? It takes several minutes for caffeine to get into your system and deliver the energy boost you need, so if you are already tired when you first drink a caffeinated drink, it may not take effect as quickly as you might expect. In addition, if you are a regular caffeine user, the effect may be much smaller.

Did You Know? Rolling the window down or turning the radio up may help you feel more alert for an instant, but these are not effective ways to maintain an acceptable level of alertness. 

17% of CMV Drivers were reported as having over-the-counter drug use at the time of a crash...

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Setra - a brand of Daimler AG

Don’t be fooled by its pretty face

Once again, Setra has raised the benchmark in the North American luxury motorcoach segment, with over 30 innovations in design, passenger and driver comfort, safety and environmental efficiencies. Daimler’s new, unique Front Collision Guard (FCG), for instance, is a passive safety system engineered to protect the driver and tour guide in the case of a frontal impact. Experience the all-new Setra TopClass S 417. From Daimler Buses North America, the worldwide leading manufacturer of buses and motorcoaches.

Motor Coach Industries 1700 East Golf Road, Suite 300 · Schaumburg, Illinois 60173 · Phone 866-624-2622 Distributor of EvoBus GmbH for Setra buses and Setra parts in the United States and Canada

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TEXTING INCLUDES pressing more than a single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile phone

distracted driving/ What you & your drivers need to know...

CMV drivers are prohibited from texting while driving. So what qualifies as texting? Texting means manually entering alphanumeric text into, or reading text from, an electronic device. This includes, but is not limited to, short message service, e-mailing, instant messaging, a command or request to access a Web page, or pressing more than a single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile phone.

This ruling restricts a CMV driver from reaching for or holding a mobile phone to conduct a voice communication, as well as dialing by pressing more than a single button. CMV drivers who use a mobile phone while driving can only operate a handsfree phone located in close proximity. In short, the rule prohibits unsafely reaching for a device, holding a mobile phone, or 12 www.greenazine.com

Article provided by the FMSCA For full article and resoucres click here.

Motor carriers are also prohibited from requiring or allowing their drivers to text or use a handheld mobile phone while driving and may be subject to civil penalties up to $11,000 pressing multiple buttons. (Click here for final rule) How can drivers use a mobile phone and still obey the rules? 1) Locate the mobile phone so it is operable by the driver while restrained by properly adjusted safety belts.

2) Utilize an earpiece or the speaker phone function.

3) Use voice-activated or one-button touch features to initiate, answer, or terminate a call.

What happens if a driver is caught using a hand-held phone or texting while driving? The rules impose sanctions for driver offenses, including civil penalties up to $2,750 and disqualification for multiple offenses. Motor carriers are also prohibited from requiring or allowing their drivers to text or use a hand-held mobile phone while driving and may be subject to civil penalties up to $11,000.

Violations will impact SMS results. Texting and calling on a hand-held phone carry the worst possible violation severity weights against a driver’s results!

What are the risks? Besides penalties and possible disqualification, recent research shows that the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event (e.g., crash, near-crash, unintentional lane deviation) are 23.2 times greater for CMV drivers who text while driving than for those who do not.

Texting drivers took their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, this equates to a driver traveling the approximate length of a football field — without looking at the roadway! For CMV drivers who dial a mobile phone while driving, the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event are six times greater than for those who do not. Why take chances?  www.greenazine.com

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Accident Report/ Motorcoach Run-OffThe-Road Accident Tallulah, Louisiana October 13 2003 14 www.greenazine.com

On October 13, 2003, the accident motorcoach was in Shreveport to begin the second day of a planned 16-day multicity sightseeing trip. At 8:00 a.m., the accident driver went to the motorcoach to begin preparing for the drive to the next major destination of the tour.

The two drivers for the trip, the accident driver and a codriver, 2 were both members of the church. According to the accident driver, the motorcoach was already running when he arrived because the codriver had arrived earlier and started the engine.

He said that the two drivers completed their pretrip inspection of the motorcoach together, checking the tires, water, oil, and external light bulbs. The accident driver then began driving eastbound on I-20. The driver said he was wearing his lap belt on the morning of the accident, and he recalled that the headlights were on and the climate control was set to vent because the air conditioning was inoperable. The accident driver made one stop at a gasoline station in Ruston, Louisiana, around 9:30 a.m. (about 1 1/2 hours before the accident) for fuel and a rest break.

Excerpts from NTSB Accident report: http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2005/HAR0501.pdf

We hope that by studying what has happened to others we can eliminate needless accidents.

The accident driver told Safety Board investigators that it was normal practice for each driver to drive about 2 to 2 1/2 hours before being relieved. He recalled that he had been planning to stop at a rest stop before Tallulah to switch with the codriver, but he noticed the codriver was sleeping, so the driver decided to wait until he reached Tallulah to stop.

Witnesses who were traveling in vehicles behind the motorcoach for more than 30 miles prior to the accident reported that they noticed the motorcoach speed up, slow down, and drift from lane to lane. In a statement to the Louisiana State Police (LSP), one witness said the motorcoach had been “going side to side� for 2 miles before the collision. A second witness who had been driving eastbound on I-20

described the motorcoach as running off the right side of the road and then coming back and driving into the left lane. The second witness also reported that the motorcoach almost struck her vehicle, ran a pickup truck off the road, and nearly swerved into the path of a tractor semitrailer traveling in an adjacent lane. One of the motorcoach passengers told Safety Board investigators that he did not notice anything unusual about the driver or the trip before the accident. At the time of the accident, this passenger was seated five or six rows behind the driver. He recalled the sound of the crash but did not hear any noise before the impact.

Another passenger, seated behind the driver, reported to Safety Board investigators that she had been reading a map and observing the driver before the accident. She recalled that she felt www.greenazine.com

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that the speed of the motorcoach was fine and that everything seemed fine. Then she noticed that the driver began to drift to the right. She said she yelled to the driver that they were about to hit a truck on the shoulder As the motorcoach approached milepost 168, it was drifting rightward at an approximate 3° angle from the travel lanes. The motorcoach entered the paved right shoulder. A 1998 Peterbilt tractor semitrailer, owned by Alpha Trucking, Inc., and occupied by a driver, was parked on the right shoulder, facing eastbound, with the left-side trailer tires about 3 feet to the right of the white edgeline. According to the LSP report,6 the driver of the Peterbilt tractor semitrailer had left Alpha Trucking headquarters in Utica, Mississippi, about 6:00 a.m. that morning and proceeded to Rayville, Louisiana. At a cotton company in Rayville, the semitrailer was loaded with about 90 bales of unginned cotton for delivery to Jackson, Mississippi. According to the driver, the tractor semitrailer, which left the cotton company around 9:30 a.m., entered I-20 at the Rayville interchange at milepost 138 and proceeded eastbound. As stated in the LSP accident report, the Peterbilt driver told police that at 10:00 a.m., he had stopped for 10 to 15 minutes at an interstate rest area near milepost 150 and performed a “walk around” and a tire inspection. The vehicle then continued eastbound and traveled for several miles before the driver noticed smoke coming from his trailer’s left rear tires. He pulled onto the right 16 www.greenazine.com

shoulder, near milepost 167.9, to make adjustments to the trailer.

He told the LSP that he had been on the shoulder 10 to 15 minutes and that he had just re-entered the cab of his truck, had released the brakes, and was preparing to proceed, when the accident occurred. The motorcoach traveled about 103 feet on the shoulder and then collided with the back of the semitrailer at milepost 167.9 while traveling at a speed between 60 and 65 mph. Post accident inspection of the accident scene revealed no evidence of braking or steering by the motorcoach driver. When the collision occurred, the motorcoach’s right front tire was about 5 feet to the right of the white edgeline on the shoulder, and the right drive and tag axle tires were also on the shoulder. All the left-side tires were still within the right traffic lane. At impact, the front of the motorcoach was aligned

so that the center of the vehicle made contact with the left rear corner of the combination vehicle’s semitrailer. As both vehicles moved forward, the motorcoach rotated clockwise slightly, and the semitrailer rotated counter-clockwise slightly; the vehicles remained together.

They traveled approximately 62 feet and came to rest, still oriented to the east, adjacent to the right side of the interstate on the outside shoulder. (See figures 4 and 5.) The semitrailer’ s tractor was on the shoulder, but the rear of the semitrailer had been pushed slightly into the grassy right-of-way to the right of the shoulder pavement. Eight motorcoach passengers were killed, and six passengers and the motorcoach driver sustained serious injuries. The Peterbilt truck driver was not injured. The eight passengers who sustained fatal injuries were reportedly found trapped between seats by emergency responders; they received serious injuries to the head, upper torso, internal organs, and extremities. These passengers were seated in rows 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 on the passenger side and rows

3 and 5 on the driver side. (See figure 6.) The six seriously injured passengers sustained blunt trauma to the head, upper torso, and extremities. Emergency responders reportedly found all six trapped between seats or in the aisle of the accident motorcoach forward of their precrash seating positions.

The driver was the only restrained occupant of the motorcoach, and he sustained serious injury to the left shoulder and lower right leg.

DAMAGE The motorcoach sustained massive damage and rearward crush to the front end, with most of the crush damage just to the right of the driver’s area.

The right front wheel and associated suspension system were pushed rearward about 15 inches. The motorcoach frame front cross member support was moved rearward about 64 inches. The main longitudinal frame members that comprised the left- and right-side spines of the motorcoach’s monocoque frame were deformed. The accident motorcoach’s right-side tubing frame was moved rearward about 38 inches. The interior right-side intrusion, measured at the right-side modesty panel, was 124 inches. The leading edge of the forward, right-side luggage compartment, adjacent to the passenger compartment floor panel, had a rectangular indentation, similar in configuration to the rear of the combination vehicle’s semitrailer. The intrusion measured at this location was 155 inches.

In the motorcoach’s passenger compartment, the damage was concentrated on the right (passenger) side. The two front modesty panels were deformed; the one on the left (driver) side was deflected forward over the driver’s seat area, and the one on the right side was destroyed by the intrusion damage.

Six panoramic windows were on the left side of the motorcoach. The first window’s glazing was missing; the glazing in the remaining five windows was intact. On the right side, the glazing of the first three and the fifth windows was missing.

The fourth and sixth windows’ glazing was intact.

Windows 2, 4, and 6 on the left side and windows 4 and 6 on the right side were emergency windows.

Emergency responders removed 32 seats (16 seat frames) from the motorcoach while extricating

injured passengers.

Emergency personnel told Safety Board investigators that upon their arrival immediately after the accident, they found the seats “piled up” near the front of the coach, with passengers trapped among and underneath the seats. The emergency personnel stated that they had to pick the seats up and remove them from the motorcoach to extricate the passengers from the wreckage.

Safety Board investigators found 16 seat frames (2 seats per frame) outside the motorcoach. Two seat frames remained inside the motorcoach on the passenger side and 6 frames remained on the driver side, for a total of 17 seats.

Motorcoach Driver The 66-year-old accident motorcoach driver held a Texas class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) with a corrective lenses restriction and a passenger endorsement valid through March 2005. His license had last been renewed in March 1999.11 The driver did not hold a medical examination certificate in accordance with 49 CFR 391.41. According to remarks made to Safety Board investigators during a postaccident interview, the driver did not think he needed a medical examination certificate to drive for the church. The motorcoach driver first obtained a license to drive a bus in 1962. He worked as a school bus driver from 1969 through 1974. He also worked as a substitute school bus driver from 1986 until 1996.12 According to the driver, he had occasionally driven the church’s motorcoach as a volunteer since joining the church in 1975. The church had owned (in succession) three motorcoaches in the years before the accident and had owned the accident motorcoach for about 1 year. The driver stated that he had experience with multiday interstate trips, having driven for the church on similar trips in the past. During an interview with Safety Board investigators, the driver stated that he took the prescription sleep aid medication Ambien (generic name zolpidem) in the evening on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Zolpidem is used for the treatment of insomnia. According to a review of the literature13 on www.greenazine.com

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the drug, Zolpidem is a hypnotic[14] that appears to cause less global impairment during peak effect than do benzodiazepine hypnotics. It is free of persistent performance decrement or hangover effects.

It has no active metabolites, does not accumulate in the body, and appears to have few interactions with other medications. It has not been reported to cause rebound insomnia in normal individuals.

Despite extensive worldwide use, zolpidem has had few adverse events reported. The manufacturer of zolpidem has stated that Patients should be cautioned against engaging in hazardous occupations requiring complete mental alertness or motor coordination such as operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle after ingesting the drug, including potential impairment of the performance of such activities that may occur the day following ingestion.15 The driver stated that he took the prescription medication Ultram (generic name tramadol) for joint pain three times a day. Tramadol is used for the management of moderate to severe pain, and its side effects can include dizziness and sleepiness. At least one study has noted a decrease in the ability to perform complex tasks with the use of

the drug.16 During the postaccident examination of the motorcoach, investigators found numerous dietary supplements in a box that also contained the motorcoach driver s prescription medications.

(See appendix B for a complete list of the supplements found.) The dietary supplements, which the motorcoach driver acknowledged were his, are classified as substances that are unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. When interviewed, the driver could not recall what dosage of each supplement he was taking or at what times or in what combination he was taking them in the 72 hours before the crash.

Among the supplements ingredients were herbal substances, including valerian, passionflower, Siberian ginseng, hops, and couch grass. Just before the accident trip, on October 6, 2003, the driver visited his physician, who noted that the driver had Chronic degenerative arthritis, chronic low back pain sleep disturbance advised when he is driving bus to be sure that he is not drowsy with the Ambien. Would caution and possibly avoid it. He states he is going to be out of town for 16 days on

Exemplar T-bolt and floor track hardware for Neoplan (left) and National Seating (right).

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a bus trip . About 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 12, 2003, the accident motorcoach departed Eldorado, Texas, for Shreveport, Louisiana. The motorcoach arrived in Shreveport about 5:00 p.m. According to the accident driver, he went to bed about 9:00 p.m. and slept until 6:00 a.m. on October 13. He told the LSP that he did not take his sleep medication (zolpidem) that evening and that he had slept “off and on” that night.

Within 2 1/2 hours of the accident, a blood specimen was drawn from the motorcoach driver at the emergency room where he was treated. The LSP laboratory results were negative for alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, phencyclidines, amphetamines, and opiates. The Safety Board also tested a specimen of blood from the driver.54 The test results were positive only for the pain medication tramadol at a level of 0.023 µg/ml. According to the FMCSA’s regulations pertaining to medical certification of CDL holders, 49 CFR 391.41(b), A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle if that person has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular, neuromuscular or vascular disease which interferes with his/ her ability to drive a commercial motor vehicle safely.

ponents of the seating system, including the sidewall and floor anchorage systems, a seat frame pedestal, and pieces of sidewall and floor track, were sent to the Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory for testing and comparison with exemplars. In addition, Neoplan sent new exemplar Tbolts to the Materials Laboratory for testing and comparison purposes. Hardware from another seating manufacturer, National Seating, was also obtained for comparison. The hardware from National Seating provided a good basis for comparison because this manufacturer’s seats were involved in a motorcoach accident in Burnt Cabins, Pennsylvania,55 which was similar to the Tallulah accident. The two accidents involved motorcoaches of similar sizes and weights, which departed the roadway at similar speeds, and then impacted parked semitrailers. The

passenger loading and the amount of intrusion were similar in the Tallulah and Burnt Cabins accident motorcoaches. Yet in the Burnt Cabins accident, unlike the Tallulah accident, all the seats outside the intrusion area remained secured. (See figures 12 and 13.) Examination of the accident T-bolts showed that one or both sides of many of the bolts’ heads were deformed downward, allowing the bolts to be pulled upward through the floor track. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 207, Seating Systems, establishes the requirements for seats, their attachment assemblies, and their installation to minimize the possibility of seat failure caused by forces acting on the seat during an accident. The standard applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses.56 The seating system Accident Discussion The Safety Board identified several factors that indicate that the motorcoach

Multiple passenger seat frames, including those outside the intrusion area, were found separated from the floor and sidewall following the accident. ComDamaged T-bolt in floor track

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driver was in a state of greatly reduced alertness due to fatigue at the time of the accident. These factors include physical evidence from the scene, witness statements, and the motorcoach driver’s own statements after the accident. The Safety Board also examined the possibility that a medical condition impaired the driver’s performance and that his use of nonregulated dietary supplements might have contributed to his lack of alertness.

Postaccident examination of the roadway and the accident vehicle showed no evidence of braking or steering by the motorcoach driver, consistent with the driver’s description of the accident sequence.

Based on the physical evidence, the angle of the motorcoach’s departure from the roadway was about 3°. A lack of braking and steering input and a shallow angle of departure from the roadway are often indicators of a distracted, drowsy, or asleep driver.77 In fact, rumble strips, which are a countermeasure intended to warn drowsy drivers that they are leaving the roadway, are designed for a 3° angle of departure from the roadway.78 There were no rumble strips on the section of the interstate where the accident occurred; however, had rumble strips been present, the proximity of the parked tractor semitrailer to the edge of the right travel lane would have so reduced the motorcoach driver’s available recovery time that he would still have been unable to avoid a collision with the parked semitrailer. Rumble strips in other sections of I-20 were 7 inches wide and were located 6 inches from the traveled roadway. The left-side tires of the accident semitrailer were parked 36

inches from the edge of the traveled way. The motorcoach traveled 103 feet on the highway shoulder at 60 mph (88 feet per second) and, at the point of collision with the semitrailer, the motorcoach’s right front tire was about 5 feet outside the travel lane, while the left tires were still within the right traffic lane. The travel speed of 88 feet per second and the distance traveled, 103 feet, meant that the motorcoach driver would have had only 1.1 seconds to react before the collision. Witnesses who observed the motorcoach before the collision stated that the vehicle was not maintaining its lane, was swerving from side to side, and was almost involved in collisions with other vehicles. Such behavior has been observed in previous fatiguerelated accidents,79 and research has demonstrated an association between poor lane tracking and drowsiness (fatigue).80 In his initial postaccident interview, the day after the accident, the motorcoach driver stated that he must have “drifted off” or fallen asleep before the accident occurred. He said he recalled a female passenger yelling, “You’re going to hit it,” but he did not recall opening his eyes before impact. He also said he did not recall seeing the tractor semitrailer parked on the side of the road. In a statement made by the driver 2 days after the accident, he said he had not seen any flashers on the tractor semitrailer. He further stated that if he had seen the truck’s lights, he would have known the truck was stopped. Safety Board investigators again interviewed the driver about 2 months after the accident. During this interview, the driver stated that he recalled that a passenger

Even over the counter sleeping aids can present serious risks to a CDL Holder.

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Although the need for sleep varies among individuals, losing as little as 2 hours of sleep a night can negatively affect alertness and performance, resulting in degraded judgment, decision-making, and memory; slowed reaction time; lack of concentration; fixation; and irritability on the motorcoach had yelled something before the collision, but he could not see anything and felt “funny.” According to the driver, when he did manage to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was the corner of the trailer approaching the motorcoach window, and he had no time to react before the collision. This suggests a state of reduced alertness, if not sleep, on the part of the motorcoach driver as the accident took place. The accident occurred because the motorcoach driver failed to maintain his lane and then could not recover before striking the parked tractor semitrailer. The motorcoach driver’s inability to track within his lane of travel was due, as evidenced by the motorcoach’s angle of departure from the travel lane, witness statements, and the driver’s own postaccident statements, to drowsy driving. Although the motorcoach driver could possibly have drifted out of his lane either prior to this point or farther down the interstate and recovered without incident, recovery was impossible at this particular location. Because a tractor semitrailer was parked on the shoulder at this point, the accident motorcoach driver could not return to his lane in time to avoid colliding with the parked vehicle. The Safety Board concludes that the accident motorcoach left the right travel lane and entered the shoulder, striking the parked tractor semitrailer, because of the motorcoach driver’s reduced state of alertness resulting from fatigue.

MEDICAL FACTORS The accident motorcoach driver’s medical history, obtained from his medical records, revealed that the driver had experienced medical conditions, including insomnia, chronic degenerative arthritis,

joint pain, chronic low back pain, and mild OSA for years before the accident. It is well documented that he typically experienced poor quality sleep due to these conditions. In August 2000, the driver underwent a polysomnography (sleep study). The results stated, in part, that he reported requiring 1 to 2 hours, and sometimes longer, to fall asleep.

He said he woke up 6 to 8 times during the night and then needed 10 to 15 minutes to fall back to sleep. The sleep study recorded that the driver took nearly 1 1/2 hours to fall asleep and that during the 7 hours of sleep time tested, he experienced only 4.7 hours of actual sleep, with virtually no restful REM sleep noted. The driver suffered from chronic degenerative arthritis and low back pain.

The chronic pain from these conditions probably exacerbated his longstanding insomnia. He had been routinely taking the prescription pain-reliever tramadol at nearly the maximum recommended daily dosage to treat his chronic pain. Postaccident, the drug was found in the driver’s blood at a level below the minimum therapeutic level. The very low level in the driver’s blood suggests that he did not take the medication as prescribed (three times daily) on the day before the accident. Not taking the tramadol might have created further difficulty in the driver’s obtaining satisfactory sleep, because he would have experienced less relief from his osteoarthritis pain during the night. In addition, the August 2000 sleep study noted that the driver had mild OSA. OSA is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, despite an apparently sufficient period of night sleep.81 To deal with his chronic sleep problems, the driver had been regularly taking the prescription sleep aid zolpidem (Ambien).

The driver reported to his physician that the only time he got satisfactory sleep was with the use of www.greenazine.com

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Ambien three times a week. On October 6, 2003, just 7 days before the accident, the motorcoach driver visited his physician, and the physician advised him, “When he is driving the bus to be sure that he is not drowsy with the Ambien. Would caution and possibly avoid it.” This advice is not consistent with the known properties of zolpidem when used as directed, but it is consistent with information provided by the manufacturer of the medication. After the accident, the motorcoach driver told police that he did not take his zolpidem the evening before the accident.

The driver’s not taking the sleep aid during the trip would probably have made it even more difficult than usual for him to obtain satisfactory sleep. The combination of the driver’s chronic insomnia, chronic pain, and mild OSA made him extremely susceptible to poor sleep on a regular basis, as documented by his sleep study results. Then, on the night before the accident, the driver, acting on his physician’s advice, probably did not take his sleep aid medication, further increasing the likelihood that his sleep that night would be inadequate. In addition, postaccident blood test results suggest that he had not taken his pain-relieving medication as prescribed, which would have made it still more difficult for the driver to obtain satisfactory sleep due to his unalleviated joint pain. In fact, the driver acknowledged that he had only slept “off and on” the night before the accident. Although the need for sleep varies among individuals, losing as little as 2

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hours of sleep a night can negatively affect alertness and performance, resulting in degraded judgment, decision-making, and memory; slowed reaction time; lack of concentration; fixation; and irritability. In this case, the motorcoach driver’s chronic insomnia, chronic pain, and mild OSA symptoms resulted in a reduced quality and quantity of sleep on a regular basis, increasing the driver’s cumulative sleep debt and level of fatigue while reducing his alertness. Moreover, the driver had been advised to avoid the use of his sleep aid medication during the motorcoach trip and by so doing most likely experienced even poorer sleep quality than was usual for him during the trip. He also may not have taken his pain medication as prescribed. The Safety Board concludes that the motorcoach driver’s chronic insomnia, chronic pain, mild OSA, and history of interrupted sleep contributed to the accident by reducing the quality and quantity of his sleep, which increased his level of fatigue and reduced his alertness. Although the bulk of the evidence found by the Safety Board indicates that this was a fatigue-induced accident, some facts are not typical of such a scenario. For instance, the accident occurred in the late morning, not a time of day likely to induce sleepiness. Also, the driver had not been on duty an excessive length of time when the accident occurred. Finally, the driver’s 72-hour history shows that he had the opportunity to obtain sufficient sleep during the 3 nights preceding the

accident. However, the Safety Board considers that, given the driver’s well-documented history of sleep problems, evidence provided by the driver and witnesses concerning the driver’s preaccident behavior, and the absence of other likely causes, driver fatigue caused by poor sleep is the likeliest reason for the accident.

CONCLUSIONS 1. The weather, the design and condition of the roadway, and the mechanical condition of the motorcoach did not contribute to the accident; test results showed no evidence of illicit drug or alcohol use by the motorcoach driver; and the emergency response was timely and effective.

2. The accident motorcoach left the right travel lane and entered the shoulder, striking the parked tractor semitrailer, because of the motorcoach driver’s reduced state of alertness resulting from fatigue.

3. The motorcoach driver’s chronic insomnia, chronic pain, mild obstructive sleep apnea, and history of interrupted sleep contributed to the accident by reducing the quality and quantity of his sleep, which increased his level of fatigue and reduced his alertness.

4. There is insufficient scientific research on, or standardization of, herbal dietary supplements to determine whether or how they might have contributed to this accident.

5. Had the accident motorcoach driver undergone a medical examination for certification as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, such an examination still might not have resulted in denial of medical certification on the basis of the driver’s medical conditions.

6. The Texas vehicle title and registration applications, which classified the accident motorcoach as a private bus, did not inform the vehicle’s owner of its Texas or Federal classification as a commercial vehicle and the requirement to meet Federal safety regulations for this classification.

7. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Web page “Safe Transportation of Passengers by Motorcoach - and What It Means to You” is an educational outreach mechanism well suited to provide information to commercial vehicle owners unfamiliar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal regulations that apply to transporting passengers safely on commercial vehicles.

8. Because the commercial vehicle inspection criteria used by the State of Texas, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators do not address the identification and appropriate use of speed-limited tires, they overlook an important vehicle safety factor and can result in commercial vehicles intended

for highway use being operated with tires not suited for highway speeds 9. The smoking brakes on the Alpha Trucking, Inc., tractor semitrailer resulted from mechanical problems that were caused by habitual and progressive mechanical neglect.

10. Alpha Trucking, Inc., misused the motor carrier vehicle self-inspection program by failing to employ the services of a qualified inspector and by misrepresenting the completion of vehicle repairs, thereby compromising the safety of the traveling public.

11. The current method of motor carrier vehicle annual self-inspection and certification accepted by the State of Mississippi and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not ensure that safety defects are repaired and can result in unsafe conditions for the traveling public.

12. Lack of information addressing seat securement in motorcoach owner’s manuals can lead to improperly secured seats, which can cause seat failures, leading to severe or fatal passenger injuries in an accident.

13. Improperly secured motorcoach passenger seats are not likely to be identified during commercial vehicle inspections because no criteria or procedures are available for the inspection of motorcoach passenger seating anchorage systems.

14. Because no performance standards are in place for motorcoach seat anchorages, some anchorage systems may be inadequately designed to withstand crash forces, which can lead to severe or fatal passenger injuries in an accident.

15. The inadequate seat anchorage hardware used by Neoplan USA Corporation failed during the accident and resulted in more severe injuries to passengers.

Probable Cause The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the motorcoach driver’s operation of the motorcoach in a reduced state of alertness due to fatigue as a result of his chronic insomnia and poor quality sleep. Further contributing to the accident was the failure of Alpha Trucking, Inc., to perform vehicle maintenance and to provide safety management controls, which resulted in the accident tractor semitrailer being parked on the interstate shoulder.

Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the failure of the motorcoach seat anchorages. 

To read the full report visit: http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/ reports/2005/HAR0501.pdf

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B2B vs B2C EMAIL / Best practice guide A better stratagy can result in far better conversion and a higher ROI on every email you send....

BY: Simon Bowker

B2B email marketing requires a differnt approach then B2C...

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In the B2C world, purchase decisions are typically made very quickly, so your emails need to be brief and filled with emotionally compelling text and images. that meet the feelings of the recipient so that they are motivated to buy your particular product or service ahead of your competitors.

With B2B it’s slightly more complicated because you’re marketing your product or service to businesses and high profile company stakeholders rather than the individual end user or customer.

As a result purchases often go through long decision-making processes - from supervisors, managers or even whole departments – and email marketing is fundamental to cutting through this.

In order for consignors to make an informed purchase decision they have to convince a number of different people with objective details and specifications of the items to be considered. Emails that are loaded with emotions can even be counterproductive in this scenario, because B2B customers are looking for more information and less emotion. That doesn’t mean your emails should be text heavy and you should abandon images and personalization elements.

Your emails should still be factual, informative and clearly describe your product, but they should be appropriate to the business and industry of your target group.

So how do you put this into practice?

First of all you need to establish the right tone. Emails should be direct, professional and presented in a manner that makes your audience want to do business with you. Essentially, you need to approach it like you would a

face-to-face meeting with your prospects and make sure that you clearly state why you are sending the message and why it is relevant and valuable to the recipient. Make sure the call to action is clearly identifiable, and don’t get too bogged down by sending too many cross promotional messages or secondary marketing messages, otherwise the effectiveness of your campaign may be compromised.

The measurement of your campaign should be based on how many leads (and of course any subsequent sales) are generated and not open or click-through rates. It is still important to make sure that your content is highly relevant and targeted, but you need to make sure you pay attention to email forwards and any additional email subscriptions generated from the campaign. If you have a high open and click through rate but only a small number of leads you may have put up too many barriers to capture the lead. Therefore make sure your landing page and relevant gateway pages (for example, a whitepaper sign-up page) are easy to find and utilise. This may take some co-ordination that goes outside the realm of a typical email manager but can be incredible influential to the success of your campaign.

Open or Click through rate is not a Metric that you need to care about. How many leads (and subsequent sales) Are.

Once you have that sorted, make sure you consider the following five tips: Know your audience: Make sure you identify who your audience is, what their characteristics are and how they may want to be contacted. For example, if you’re sending out an email to an IT network administrator – a text approach is more likely to solicit a more positive response than an image intensive email.

More importantly you need make sure your emails are fully optimized for mobile and realize that you cannot adopt a one-solution policy. www.greenazine.com

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Consider the most appropriate “From” & “Subject” lines: Sending an email from a CEO or top level executive is likely to resonate better with your recipient than an email from someone further down in your organisation. However in addition to sending the email from someone influential you need to support this with a short subject line which is clutter free and clearly sets out the intentions and purpose of the email.

A recent study conducted to determine the risk of having a safetycritical event as a function of driving-hour suggests that incidents are highest during the first hour of driving 26 www.greenazine.com

Respect the audience’s time: The timing of your mailings is incredibly important, so do investigate the most effective times to reach your particular audience. However, if one of your subscribers doesn’t respond to your first few messages that doesn’t mean you should send them more messages more frequently. Instead, make sure that you create a follow-up campaign based on how each of your users responded (or in some cases didn’t). Using these metrics will help you to implement a more relevant strategy and increase your potential lead volume.

Offer something unique: You need to give people a reason to interact with you. Sometimes, you can do this via a whitepaper or by granting

access to content on your website or a free event. Whatever it is you need to bear in mind that the B2B audience is unlikely to want to spend money, so you need to stand out and provided added value if you want your lead volume to grow.

Don’t oversell: Make sure you don’t overwhelm your audience and offer them too many promises. If you do you will diminish your opportunity to encourage people to click on the links within your email which point to details of the services and products you want them to purchase from you.

Ultimately you need to remember that whilst you may use the same tools and resources, the way you communicate and present your content for your B2B and B2C email marketing campaigns differs exponentially. If you follow these five principals you will be able to build a strong campaign which delivers you highly qualified leads which can have positive impact on your business.  To read the full report visit: CLICK HERE

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Make More Splash / How to successfully pitch journalists...

Nicholas Holmes co-founded startup MediaGraph to help startups pitch to make public relations accessible and affordable to small businesses, by providing them with tips, tricks, and access over social media to the journalists they are looking to access (read more about their startup founding process here). Hopefully they can lower the bar for fledgling startups; here are some beginning tips to help founders take the right approach when contacting the media (more can be found on the MediaGraph blog).

1

Be Colorful

Be Early The earlier, the better - in most cases.

Most publications, particularly in print, work with a lead time but still have to appear up to date, which is why PR professionals will normally pre-brief journalists well in advance.

Small businesses should do the same thing -- if you’re pitching for coverage of an event or a specific launch date, make sure you know how long they’ll need to plan, write it up and schedule it. This could range from months for glossy magazines to a few days for a newspaper and a few hours for a blog, and that’s without accounting for personal preference. A well-timed warning helps everybody to plan their diaries better - and who doesn’t like that?

3

As news has moved online, the need for good pictures has only increased -- many blogs and outlets now insist on an accompanying image for every story and in a world where picture editors are increasingly scarce, you’ll make a journalist’s day if you can offer some.

Offer, don’t attach; no-one likes receiving 12MB of high-res images with a pitch. But link to a Flickr/blog page with some royalty-free graphics and you’ll make friends fast. Increasingly, outlets are also embedding videos from companies they cover, so a YouTube channel is worth including if you have one.

4

5 Be Relevant This is perhaps the single biggest success factor in any pitch: you should aim to be relevant to the journalist, and relevant to the news.

Showing you’re human can make the difference between a press release being read or deleted - especially if you’re a founder. Your personality may be your best weapon against the hordes of public relations people pitching stories about larger companies. So show it!

This will be especially appreciated by high-profile journalists, who receive hundreds of pitches and press releases daily. Save time by putting the title of the press release in the message subject, and make sure you’re well into the meat of the pitch by the second sentence you’ve written.

Spend some time learning about the person you’re emailing and making sure you’re pushing the right buttons before you hit send. Read their recent articles to get a feel of the subjects, style and tone of what they cover -think about how your news might fit into that publication and try to work that into the pitch. That doesn’t mean suggesting a particular slot, but it’s worth highlighting the aspect you think will be most interesting to their readers

Include a personal note alongside whatever other material you’re sending, and put all your contact details on there so that it’s clear you’re open for a chat. It’s worth making sure they remember you as accessible, friendly and helpful, with more than an opportunistic interest in what they’re writing about.

If you can keep your pitch to between 100-150 words, you’re on the right track. Spend a sentence or two on why you believe the story is right for the publication, and then focus on how you’re prepared to work with the journalist, perhaps by offering exclusive access, a free trial or an interview.

Aim to tap into a relevant current trend you know the journalist has an interest in - it’ll help them to quickly form an association with your pitch and adds credibility to what you’re saying, which is a huge bonus. It also broadens the opportunity for them to use your news, as trends tend to resurface over time.

Be Genuine

2

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Be Concise

NEWS BRIEF NOT AUTHORIZED /

Federal records show that a charter bus headed from Toronto to New York that crashed on Interstate 80 was not authorized for interstate passenger service, NorthJersey.com reports.

The report cites a spokesman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration saying that the bus, AVM Max 2000 Charter Services of Toronto, has “no current operating authority” with the FMCSA. The FMCSA, an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates interstate bus companies, is assisting New Jersey State Police in investigating the crash.

Federal records also show that AVM has been cited four times this year for violating federal “fatigued driving” regulations. For instance, in May the company was cited for “requiring or permitting driver to drive more than 11 hours,” the report says.

The federal agency’s policy requires for-hire bus companies that cross state lines to have interstate operating authority, the report says.

To read the full story click on the image above.

Records show that the company’s authority to carry passengers was revoked July 9, six days after its liability insurance was canceled, NorthJersey.com reports. Also, records show that a new $5 million liability insurance went into effect Aug. 22, however the report says it was unclear why AVM had not been reinstated by the FMCSA. Ten years ago, the bus company’s carrying authority was revoked but was reinstated in 2008. Company representatives did not return calls requesting comment.

On Sunday, hospital officials confirmed that three of the 23 injured remain hospitalized at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.

The accident occurred Saturday shortly after 7:30 a.m. when the overnight bus from Toronto and headed to New York ran off the road near Exit 53 on Interstate 80, flipped on its side and slid down an embankment. Of the 57 people on board, 23 were hospitalized for injuries.

The driver, Neville Larmond, 51, of Toronto, told police he was cut off by another vehicle as he exited onto Route 46.

He sustained a cut on his arm. 

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7 Essential HR Resources / Tools your Company can use to streamline your HR efforts As a business owner, you know your product, service, market and customers. But sometimes one of the most challenging aspects of operating a business is employees. Not because the employees themselves are a challenge but because there’s so much legislation and nuances to employee relations.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a go-to list of resources that can provide answers to common HR questions or solve those nagging people issues? Well, while this list is not a substitution for legal advice, these seven resources can lend a hand in understanding the complexities of labor and employment matters for your business.

1. There are several well-written human resources blogs that offer pertinent, common-sense advice. Two of my favorites are Ask a Manager and Evil HR Lady. Both written by practicing HR pros, these blogs offer a unique format by answering questions from readers. At first glance, it might appear the questions are trivial or unrealistic, but trust me, I’ve seen many of the same 30 www.greenazine.com

situations. And, dealing with everyday internal squabbles or misunderstandings can consume a lot of time.

2. The Department of Labor offers an easy to maneuver site covering many of the common questions employers ask, especially when it concerns employee wages. I find it becomes particularly useful when companies are sending employees to off-site training or conferences – not something companies do every day but you sure want to know how to pay people when those situations arise.

3. G.Neil is a one-stop HR supply shop for your small business. They

are well-known for their 5-in-1 labor law posters as well as a service that will notify you when updates are issued.

G.Neil also offers a popular attendance tracking system that allows you to record all of an employee’s time-off requests on a single piece of paper – very convenient.

4. Monster.com is considered one of the top (if not the top) job board in existence. Besides being able to post jobs on Monster, companies can save job searches and constantly monitor the site for talent. This can be very valuable if you have positions you hire for regularly or a job that’s difficult to fill. Even if you’re not hiring, the site has developed specialized community forums in Sales, Health Care, Administrative ser-

vices, etc. so you can stay on top of industry trends and commentary.

5. SmartBrief publishes several B2B electronic newsletters for business owners, entrepreneurs, and specialized industries. Their offering includes partnerships with NFIB, NAWBO, Non-Profits, etc. Subscriptions are free and they allow you access to a wide variety of content. They give you the best of the best so you don’t have to scour multiple sources for great information.

6. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a professional association and the leading voice of the human resources profession. I can’t even begin to tell you how much content is on their website. Some of it is free. And for a nominal fee, members have access to articles, white papers, templates, tools, etc. I regularly use their Knowledge Center for answers to everyday questions such as inclement weather policies.

SHRM also provides regular updates on pending employment legislation.

7. Your Local Chamber of Commerce can be a good resource to find meetings and workshops on common employment challenges.

My local chamber regularly partners with consultants or law firms to offer topical sessions.

And you don’t always have to be a member to attend.

Take a moment and bookmark these sites. It might not be a list of resources you use every day, but when you do need them, you will be happy you had them bookmarked.

One of the most challenging parts of running a business is the employees.

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Getting Started on Google + The Newest of the social media outlets has lots of opportunities for small business.

In his book, What the Plus! Google+ For the Rest of Us,author Guy Kawasaki details strategies, tactics and time-savers to create an effective presence and attract followers, engage the right people, and promote your brand. In this edited excerpt, Kawasaki explains how to get started on Google+, which has garnered over 250 million active users since its beta test in June 2011.

Since Google can divert the river and owns the playing field, you may find it hard to avoid Google+. Here’s how to get started: Sign up for a Google account that enables you to use all the Google prod-

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ucts. Keep your name simple, which will make it easier for people to remember you and find your Google+ post.

The next step is to find people to “circle.” When you’ve circled approximately 50 people, Google+ gets really interesting. This process will only take a few minutes but will yield many hours of enlightenment, engagement, and enjoyment.

Google+ provides multiple options to get started. First, you can click on “Find people” to search for people you already know. Don’t be disappointed if all your BFFs (best friends for life) aren’t already on Google+; this is a chance to make new BFFs.

Second, you can click on categories of people, such as “Entertainment” or “Fun & Interesting.”

Google compiled a list of “Picks” based on the fame and level of activity of the people. You can add these entire preselected circles or individual people.

There are a few simple ways to decide whether to circle someone: Does the person have a pleasant profile photo?

The lack of a profile photo indicates that the person is clueless, a newbie, or a spammer.

When there is a photo, you can infer a lot about the person.

How many people have circled the person? Lots of followers doesn’t necessarily mean the person is worth circling, but it’s a pretty good data point. There’s usually a bad reason someone only has a handful of followers.

When was the last time the person shared a post? This will show if the person is active on Google+. There’s no sense following someone who isn’t active because the purpose of circling a person is to generate interaction.

Are the person’s posts shared by many people, and commented upon? People who share posts

that generate more than 10 shares and more than 10 comments tend to be interesting.

An easy way to check out a person is to use Chrome, Google’s browser, and install a Chrome browser extension called “CircleCount.” Then, when you mouse-over a person’s name, you’ll see the follower history and the average number of shares and comments.

Now that you’ve circled a few people, it’s time to explore how to navigate Google+. The nine buttons in the vertical navigation ribbon on the left side of the page are the primary ways to navigate Google+ itself. Here’s what the buttons do: Home: On Google+, home is where the “stream” is. This button displays your “stream” of what the people you follow have posted. Think of Home as your “news feed.”

Profile: When you want to see what you’ve posted, click on this button. It will show you all your posts, and it’s a good way to manually check for new comments on your posts.

Explore: This will take you to a page that explains Google+ features as well as the posts that have the most comments and shares.

Google+ provides multiple options to get started.

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Events: You can use Events to plan and invite people to your parties, meetings, and Google+ hangouts. You create an invite, choose a theme picture, set a day and time, and invite people and circles of people.

Photos: This takes you to photo collections, including those you and your friends have posted as well as photos you’ve been tagged in.

Googel plus does more then just help you find new customers... did you know it can impact your search results as well?

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Circles: You create circles in order to organize and filter who you interact with. You circle people unilaterally, without their permission, although they are notified that you circled them.

Local: Google Local helps you find “recommended places” such as restaurants and hotels near your geographic location.

It provides Zagat scores and summaries plus the recommendations of people you know on Google+ and “top reviewers.”

Games: This is the front door to playing games on Google+. You have control over when you see games, how you play them,

and with whom you share your experiences.

Hangouts: Hangouts is a killer feature of Google+ that enables you to have a video chat session with up to nine other people.

Think of it as Skype on steroids.

More: This enables you to add navigation buttons such as Pages, which provides links to the pages that you have created or have access to. (Pages are Google+ accounts for organizations.)

There are more ways Google+ helps you find people to circle. You can search for people at any time by using the Google+ search area. When you find a person, Google+ also displays more people who might interest you.

You also can enter keywords that describe your interests and passions, and Google+ will display relevant people, posts, people, and pages. When you find people who share your sensibilities, circle them so you may continue to read their posts.

Then read the comments on their posts, which can also help you find people to circle To read the full report visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/ article/224615#

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NWMA 13th Annual Convention & Rodeo

Thank you to all of the participants, advertisers and sponsors of our 2012 annual convention and rodeo. As always it was a great event and we had the opportunity to grow as an industry.

For those who missed it, we hope you will join us in 2013. This is an important event with lots of opportunities to network, learn and to see what the industry is doing to get better, and together, we can all get there faster! Remember to check our website frequently for updates!

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Congratulations to the 2012 Rodeo winners 1st Place - Milan Lawrence, RAZ 2nd Place - Buck Rogers, Alpha Omega 3rd Place - John Pierard, Alpha Omega

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CyberThreats/ Are you underestimating cyber threats in your business?

The study, which surveyed 1,015 U.S. businesses with less than 250 employees, revealed a glaring disconnect between cybersecurity perception and reality at smallto medium-sized businesses, or SMBs. While more than 77% of respondents said that their company was safe from the likes of hackers, viruses and malware, a massive 83% have no formal cybersecurity plan in place.

The research, released as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, also revealed that 66% of SMBs are not concerned about cyber threats. Experts, however, warn that cybercriminals could use small businesses as a “stepping stone” from which to launch attacks. ”SMBs have to realize that data is the coin of the realm in cybercrime,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the NCSA, in an interview with TheStreet, pointing to the likes of customer and employee data. “Cybercriminals may use [SMBs] to get to somebody else.” Criminals, for example, could use an SMB’s client contact list in a phishing attack, a form of online scam typically launched via email.

Social media is also a popular launch pad for criminals’ phishing attacks; although

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the research found that 70% gain the expertise needed to of SMBs do not have policies lock down data. for employee social media use.

Analyzing the Retail Stock Bubble’TWO’ Smart Ways “Cybercriminals know that to Participate in the Rental small businesses are less Housing BoomAmazon, defended than large busi- Priced for Perfection and Benesses,” noted Kaiser. “Small yond businesses could appear as More on SYMC a very easy entry point for a Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ): lot of cyber criminals.”

Today’s Featured Computer Hardware WinnerSymantec “In many cases, small busi- Corp Stock Buy Recommennesses don’t think that they dation Reiterated (SYMC) are going to be attacked as The Mountain View, Calif.much as a large organiza- based firm is not the only tion,” added Laura Garcia- tech heavyweight bangManrique, vice president of ing the cybersecurity drum.

SMB Customer Experience Last week, research from the at Symantec. But that’s not Ponemon Institute, sponthe case. A small business, sored by HP (HPQ), warned she added, is four times that the cost of cybercrime more likely to suffer a gen- is increasing dramatically for eral malware attack than a businesses. large organization.

The NCSA urged SMBs to look at where their information is being stored and used, and protect those areas. It also reminded small businesses to enforce strong password policies, encrypt confidential information, educate employees about cybersecurity and stay up to date with the latest viruses and worms. Symantec’s Garcia-Manrique touted cloud-based security technologies (which, incidentally, the company sells) as a way for small firms to

A number of big-name firms, such as Sony (SNE), have already hit the headlines after suffering cyber attacks.

Last month, security guru Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, warned that hackers could shut down power in most of the world within a matter of decades.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also warned of a looming “cyber pearl harbor” during a speech in New York last week, outlining the potential for a massive attack against critical U.S. infrastructure.

A number of large U.S. financial institutions have faced significant denial-of-service attacks recently, alarming experts with the speed and the scale of the digital assaults.

Cybercrimes are defined as: “Offences that are committed against individuals or groups of individuals with a criminal motive to intentionally harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental harm to the victim directly or indirectly, using modern telecommunication networks such as Internet (Chat rooms, emails, notice boards and groups) and mobile phones (SMS/MMS)

Cybercrime is bigger then... the global black market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined ($288bn) and approaching the value of all global drug trafficking ($411bn) At $388bn, cybercrime is more than 100 times the annual expenditure of UNICEF ($3.65 billion)

CYBER SECURITY matters to your business....

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